Lucky Charm
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: One-shot, post MGS4. Being a cyborg was a huge hassle sometimes. Of all things to be afraid of in his hazardous life...Raiden's mind had chosen water. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shake the phobia. Maybe...he just needed something to give him a little mental boost. Raiden/John family, light RaidenxRose. Some Revengeance spoilers.


**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR**

**Hiya! Hope everyone is having a nice summer :). This story takes place a few years after MGS4. There are Revengeance spoilers. I was thinking that if cyborgs were not always able to eat and drink, then they probably wouldn't have been completely waterproof for awhile. Thus, this fic was born :). There is some slight RaidenxRose. I hope you enjoy :D!**

**XXX**

"Wunderbar!" Doktor cried happily, his pale, spectacled face glowing with contentment as well as the pallid light of a computer monitor. "We are officially at full power!"

Lying back on a metal table, Raiden let his azure eyes flutter open. He squinted through the shadowed chamber illuminated only by surveillance and research screens. Desks, tools, supply cabinets, and pieces of complex technology rested all about him. Some were being used by his fellow workers to monitor missions while others displayed their resident cybernetic surgeon's work.

He had been inclined to set up a temporary workstation in Maverick's central computer room due to an unfortunate, explosive "accident" involving a newly-transformed cyborg knocking over some chemicals that were quite potent on the explosive scale. The cyborg was recovering but the office was…scattered to say the least.

Now, Doktor was conducting his experiments in an open area for all of Maverick to see. Raiden was not sure whether to be self-conscious about being operated on in front of a crowd or relieved that the German genius could not test any radical ideas.

Contemplating this, he studied Doktor. The man was hunched over a glowing monitor, his gaunt visage absorbed in its readings. As usual, his longish brown hair was perfectly slicked back. The bald area atop his scalp glistened in the harsh technological lighting. The rest of his thin form, clothed in a navy blue shirt and black pants, practically disappeared into the otherwise dark room.

Finally, the man gave a single nod. He stood erect and faced his patient, smiling approvingly. "Your body is fully charged, Raiden. You should be good to go."

"Good," Raiden needed no further encouragement to rip out the various wires attached to his silver frame.

Slowly, the soldier swung his legs over the table so that he could sit at its edge. He ran a metallic hand through his shaggy white hair, feeling the temporary rush of a newly-charged body. In spite of that, he found himself reluctant to get up. Deep down, he knew why, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he decided to tell himself that he was attempting to delay Doktor's inevitable lecture about the modifications he had made to the cybernetic form.

A small smile formed on Raiden's pale face. He mentally counted down, _"Three…two…one…"_ before lifting his head.

True to form, Doktor opened his mouth to speak. "Your upgraded form should be one hundred percent waterproof. You will no longer have to worry about being electrocuted when coming into contact with liquid. Now, to make this modification, I employed the use of…"

At that point, Raiden tuned him out. He flicked his eyes about, seeking the faces of the others in the room. Standing near the giant wall monitor, Boris was present in his usual ebony and navy uniform. His bulky form was facing away from the cyborg. Occasionally, he would glance over his shoulder and arch a dark brown eyebrow at the convoluted, multi-syllabic terms spewing from the surgeon's mouth.

Raiden felt a smirk playing on his lips, knowing how annoyed Boris got whenever he did not understand what was being said. He then turned his gaze upon a man slouched casually in a swiveling office chair. Kevin Washington had his muscled, tattooed arms folded behind his head. His onyx shirt almost blended into the chair, but his expression of amusement was clearly visible. His cheerfully sparkling eyes were fixed on Raiden. It was clear that he knew the cyborg was not paying the slightest bit of attention to Doktor's spiel.

Raiden gave him the smallest hint of a grin. He was busy examining his glinting silver claws when Doktor ceased talking, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you even paying attention?"

The cyborg waved a hand, displaying a front of nonchalance he did not truly feel. "Yeah, yeah, I get the gist of it. Long story short, I'm liquid-proof."

"Yes, but you should understand all of the work that went into such a modification!"

Shaking his head, Raiden turned to look upon one of Boris's mission screens, as if it were a fascinating work of art. He attempted to act as if such a prospect bored him…but that was not entirely the case. No…when he looked deep into whatever constituted his mechanical heart, he could clearly glimpse the true cause of his uncooperative behavior. He didn't want to know how his body worked because he did not want to visualize all of the ways it could malfunction.

Pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation, the surgeon opened his mouth to say something else. He did not get the chance. Just then, Courtney Collins entered, carrying a tray with four coffees.

The woman was professionally dressed in a white blouse, black pencil skirt, and heels. Her golden hair was piled in a bun atop her head. Her aqua eyes sparkled cheerily behind her red-framed glasses.

Smiling brightly, she announced, "I hope you guys need a pick-me-up, 'cuz I brought coffee for every—wah!"

Just then, her foot snagged a thick wire connected to one of Doktor's various apparatuses. This was not particularly surprising. Courtney, kind and liked as she was, was undeniably infamous for her clumsiness. What was surprising and horrifying, however, was the result of her trip.

The tray of coffees went flying from her hands Tops rested atop each Starbucks cup, but they were not secure enough to do much in light of a calamity such as being airborne. They soared like cylindrical Frisbees…right in Raiden's direction.

Feeling as if the world had gone into slow motion, the cyborg gawked. No longer could his brain continue to put up that disinterested façade he had worn all afternoon. Rational thought had departed. All that remained was instinct.

The first traces of liquid seeped from the cups, raining toward Raiden. In response to this, he yelped and shoved himself backward. The result was him going head-over-heels backward over the metal device. With a loud thud and clank of metal against hard flooring, he crashed to the ground. There he lay, moaning, the puddle of coffee waxing large several feet away from him.

As he sprawled, Raiden could hear Courtney cursing and apologizing profusely while Doktor's raised voice rattled on in German. Boris was laughing heartily. Kevin chuckled and muttered something about going to get paper towels.

Shaking his head at the typical work day antics, Boris came over and grasped Raiden underneath his metal arms. With a grunt, he hauled the soldier to his feet and clapped his back good-naturedly.

"Are you all right, tovarich?"

Raiden nodded, though his face was grim. Physically, he was fine—mentally, not so much. His mirage had dissipated, his illusion shattered. No longer could he fool his own brain with the charade he had presented. He certainly couldn't fool the others anymore. His actions had been far too much evidence. It was only a matter of time before they called him out on it.

Satisfied with Courtney and Kevin mopping up the mess, Doktor ceased his litany of German curses. He went to stand before his patient. Raiden glanced downward, trying to avoid his scrutinizing gaze. Doktor folded his arms over his chest.

"Raiden…" he began slowly. "I have seen you face marauding cyborgs, Irving, and Metal Gear Rays without so much as a blink of apprehension. Yet just now, you gazed upon that toppling coffee cup as if it were the _Sensenmann_."

Recognizing the last word as the surgeon's native expression for "Grim Reaper," Raiden knew he would have blushed if his artificial blood had permitted it. His face remained ghostly but his embarrassment remained.

"It was a reflex…" he muttered, hoping in vain to drop the subject.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Yes…however, the body, cybernetic or organic, does not act reflexively without some provocation. Physical or mental, it does not matter. There must be a reason. You were not in pain, so tell me: for what reason did you react in such a manner?"

Tossing a mound of soaking, cappuccino-scented paper towels in a trash can, Kevin added, "In case you didn't know, that's Dok's way of saying, 'What the heck is up with you, man?'"

Sighing heavily, Raiden ran clawed fingers through his pallid locks. He pulled back an office chair and sank into it. He did not sit back, leaning his forearms on his thighs stressfully. His entire body was tense.

To admit the unsightly fear weighing on his heart was like cleaning an infected wound—painful, necessary, and sore afterward. It sent a jolt of agitation throughout his frame that forced him to suppress the urge to fidget.

The truth was…Raiden was afraid. Years ago, water and other liquids had been detrimental to the cybernetic frame. If a cyborg fell into a pool or some other body of water, they would be killed by electrocution. If not, their frames would be too heavy to float and they would drown. While the latter threat was still somewhat compelling, the former had now supposedly been eliminated with the new modifications. No longer would mechanically-enhanced men have to fear death by water's excessive eagerness to conduct electricity.

But such an upgrade required trust, something Raiden was not overly skilled at practicing. He was literally inclined to place his life in the hands of technology. When facing hordes of soldiers, Gekko, and Rays, as Doktor had mentioned, Raiden was not overly anxious because he was in control of the situation. Concerning his own body, however, he had little bearing on its innermost functions. He had to depend on it to function properly…something him that reminded him all-too-strongly of his own mortality.

The warrior took a deep breath before speaking. "Years ago, I was in a really dark place. I didn't care what happened to me because I had nothing left to live for. Now…I do have something…someone. Two someones, to be exact, and both of them depend on me."

"Then it is the risk that concerns you?" Doktor quirked an eyebrow. "You face danger during every mission, Raiden; yet you are not averse to working out in the field."

Raiden shrugged and shook his head. "It's not the danger necessarily…" he murmured. "I just…If I have to die, I want it to be fighting for something I believe in—something that is important to me. I don't want it to be for a stupid reason like walking out in the rain, trusting my waterproof modifications hold up, and getting electrocuted if they don't. It's not that I don't trust your expertise, Dok…and I know that this fear is kind of silly, but…I just can't seem to shake it."

"Hmm…" the surgeon studied him, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That kind of fear can be injurious to a mission, Raiden. You cannot expect to perform properly if you do not trust the functionality of your own body."

Raiden sighed, slouching back in the chair. "I know that. What should I do about it?"

"Mm…Perhaps you could visit the department psychologist?"

The cyborg smirked. "There are few shrinks, Herr Doktor, who could easily cope with my issues."

Shaking his head, Doktor opened his mouth to deny that statement. Courtney, however, spoke up before he had the chance. Absorbed in cleaning up her mess, Raiden had not thought she was listening. The way her face lit up told him that he had been wrong.

"I know—why don't you get a lucky charm of some sort?" she suggested. "You know, to give you a little mental and emotional boost?"

Raiden couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "Heh…anybody got a horseshoe or a four-leafed-clover?"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. She started to say something else, but Kevin cut her off. Leaning his hip against a desk, arms folded over his broad chest, the man seemed to have been thinking. Apparently reaching whatever resolution he had been seeking, he punched the air in triumph.

"Hold on a sec….you said that you've been having trouble figuring how to spend your time off with your family, right?" Kevin asked.

Frowning, Raiden nodded slowly. "Yes…? Rose and I are limited on what kinds of trips we can take on our budget…"

A wide grin slowly spread across Kevin's face. He reclined back in a chair, crossing his arms behind his head once more. "Then I've got it," he announced.

All eyes turned to him. Boris studied his employee, cocking his eyebrows curiously. Doktor scrutinized him with furrowed brows while Courtney lifted her face from mopping up coffee, her lips pursed slightly.

Raiden stared hard at his self-satisfied friend, azure gaze piercing as ever. "Got what?"

"A way to kill two birds with one stone."

XXX

Raiden could not remember the last time he'd been to a place like this. Sun-baked stand stretched out for miles at his back. It glittered with fragments of rock and the softly-hued aquatic treasures known as seashells. The road was completely out of sight behind an expanse of rolling dunes. No clouds darkened the bright blue sky. Sunlight streamed downward, its heat eased by a pleasant sea breeze.

Letting his eyes ease shut, Raiden inhaled deeply. Crisp, salty air flooded his scent receptors. He missed the feeling of feeling organic lungs with its clean aroma. At the very least, he could still feel the cool touch of the wind on the organic sections of his face.

Standing there, the human-looking feet of his civilian body buried in the sand, he rolled his shoulders. The navy blue tank top he wore revealed his pale, muscled arms. It also made visible the seams in his artificial skin. His black swim trunks revealed the lines on his legs. He was glad that there were no strangers around to gawk at him.

His fingers curled tightly into fists. The crashing of waves hit the cyborg's ears…but he did not open his eyes. In fact, he shut them even tighter. Whatever had replaced his cardiac muscle was fluttering frenetically within his core. A very real sense of nausea made his mechanical stomach writhe.

Fear…that cursed, foolish fear. It simply would not leave him. No matter how many times Raiden had told himself it was all right, that the technology would hold, it made no difference. That nagging, anxious sensation still pricked at his brain until he wanted to drag clawed fingers across his scalp in hopes of tearing out the feeling.

Raiden could not remember the last time he'd felt something like this. Perhaps this was actually his first time. After all, before, he had not had anything to lose by dying. Thus, the concept of death did not concern him. Now, however, he had two people depending on him. If he died, they would be alone…they would be helpless…they would be unprotected…they…

A growl resounded in the back of his throat. The soldier shook his head, striving to clear the thoughts. He had to stop thinking about it if he was ever going to get over this irrational phobia. But it was so difficult….somehow, he did not think he was strong enough.

Right as he was digging his nails into his palms hard enough to draw blood from real skin, his touch receptors sensed something. It was warm, soft—a small hand. It eased its way past his fingers until Raiden was forced to hold the hand within his own. The action, however simple, brought a smile to his tense features.

Turning his head, Raiden opened his eyes to look down upon his companion. He was certain not to glance at the endless expanse of sparkling ocean in front of him. He wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Pressing close to his side, clutching the man's large hand in his own small one, was Little John. The child was staring up at his father with large, round eyes. His white-blonde hair blew lightly in the breeze. So did the dark green shirt and camouflage-pattern swim shorts he wore. Spiderman waterwings clung to his small arms. His pale eyelashes fluttered against paler skin, all of his attention focused on the cyborg.

Glancing down at the sand, Raiden saw the seven-year-old's toy katana lying at his tiny feet. Apparently, he had set it down in order to take his father's hand. Such an act, simplistic and seemingly unimportant, made warmth blossom within Raiden's chest—for he knew that his son never abandoned his favorite toy unless he thought something else was far more important.

Raiden kept his blue eyes locked with John's. Silent understanding swam in the boys eyes. If there was one thing that children could understand and sense, it was fear. But…Raiden did not want to be afraid in front of his boy. He had to show some courage, just like the superhero John was convinced he was.

The cyborg squeezed his son's hand. Then, he took a deep breath and turned his gaze seaward. Water…a mixture of crashing, frothing liquid colored the shades of melted sapphire, emerald, and onyx. It spread out to infinity on the horizon before him. Light played on its peaks and troughs, seeming to dance on its insubstantial surface. It was like the mythical siren that supposedly lived within it—beautiful and deadly.

Paralyzing fear expanded across Raiden's frame. Each time the waves washed up on the sand, he felt as if it were a wet, lethal hand, reaching to grab him in a vice-like hold…

Stiffening, the warrior mentally berated himself. He had to stop letting his imagination run wild. It was not helping his mental state. As he stood there, trying to steel himself, he felt a soft gaze upon him. He knew without looking to whom it belonged…for he had been under those gentle yet inquisitive eyes many times before.

Slowly, Raiden tore his attention from the ocean to regard the one watching him. His silvery blue eyes locked with eyes of sparkling earth. They were situated on the pretty, ivory face of his wife, Rosemary. Chocolate hair tied in a messy bun, Rose was dressed in a white one-piece with swirling black flower designs. She wore a sheer white cover-up that flowed down to her ankles and danced in the salty wind. Beautiful as always, she studied her husband with those intelligent eyes that had long since stripped away the layers shrouding many of his secrets.

Raiden suddenly felt vulnerable under the chocolate hue of her acknowledgement. He was used to being the one in control—the one to whom others looked for support. Now though, he was completely, utterly helpless.

His wife seemed to sense these thoughts battling within his skull. She gave a reassuring nod and smiled ever-so-slightly. Raiden's mind flashed back to his bomb disposal job at Big Shell. He recalled his panic…and her gentle eyes. He could practically hear her voice, "You're up for this. You know that." That was exactly what she seemed to be telling him now.

Hardening with determination, Raiden turned his head back toward the horizon. The frothing indigo entity reached for him as it crept along the sand. It contrived to entice him with its rushing, crashing rhythm. The sight was picturesque. However, the warrior just could not bring himself to drag his foot forward.

Just then, he felt a light tug on his hand. Raiden's war-darkened eyes moved downward to meet eyes of bright innocence.

"It's okay, Dad," John smiled. "I'll help you!"

For a long moment, Raiden studied his child's face. Only after careful examination of his thoughts did he realize…he believed him. The statement wasn't a mere infantile announcement of affection and naivety. Raiden truly believed he could help.

It had been John's conception that had given Raiden hope for the future. It was John's sudden appearance that had given him back a lost shred of humanity. John had ultimately saved his relationship with the only woman he truly loved and John had brought joy and meaning to his formerly listless life.

As he stood there, reflecting on these things, the cyborg recalled what Courtney had told him. _"Why don't you get a lucky charm of some sort? You know, to give you a little mental and emotional boost?"_

He had scoffed at the idea when, all along, he'd had exactly that. His boy had brought him nothing but good fortune. Maybe he could also give him the strength he needed to overcome his phobia.

Newfound confidence flashed in the cyborg's mind like a bolt of lightning. Seeming to sense the surge, John started forward with speed. Finally, Raiden's legs cooperated. He kept perfect pace with his son as they jogged toward the sea, real and artificial bare feet pounding against the pristine sand.

Right as the ground was beginning to grow soggy, John freed his hand and jumped into the waves. A brief prick of trepidation zinged Raiden's brain but he pushed it aside. He closed his eyes…and leapt.

Powered by a grown man with cybernetic enhancements, Raiden's plunge brought him a good distance farther than John's. He heard the child's happy shout for a brief second before coolness enveloped him. His mind was a blank void for a long time. Gradually, senses returned to him. The first thing he noticed was his hair floating, no longer brushing his forehead and neck. Then, there was the refreshingly icy caress of liquid against the organic parts of his face. But most importantly…there was no pain. No electrical shock, no blaring internal warning signals—nothing but smooth, undulating water.

Relief flooded through the soldier. He had done it. Or rather, John had done it yet again. Breathing out a stream of bubbles, he launched himself upward. Upon breaking the surface, he found himself in chest-deep water. That was good. Even with water-proofing upgrades, cyborgs were still not the best at floating.

Raiden swept his soaked hair away from his forehead. Turning back to shore, he sighted an equally-sopping John. The boy was hopping up and down in ankle-deep water, beaming and waving his arms. His father waded toward him.

Raiden could hear his son's joyous babbling from yards away. "You did it, Dad! That was so cool! Did you see the big splash? You were like Aquaman—"

Chuckling, Raiden scooped the boy up and placed him on his shoulders. He then ran into the surf, grinning as John yelled happily.

All fear and tension had evaporated into the ocean breeze. The two splashed and played and jumped over the waves. Raiden let John dive from his shoulders into the water as he had seen other parents do with their children. In his case, he could handle the child's miniscule weight far longer with his mechanical frame.

When John seemed to be getting tired, Raiden moved him to a shallow area. He then dragged his own dripping form to shore. Rose was sitting on the sand, her legs stretched out in front of her. She had been watching her boys play with a smile as bright as the beach sun.

As her husband approached, she asked, "Having fun out there?"

Raiden smiled back toward John, who was playing with a starfish. "Even more than him, believe it or not."

Rose giggled. Gazing upon her pretty face, Raiden could see himself reflected in her eyes. Dripping garments, ashen hair slicked back from his face, pale skin that looked almost seamless in its droplet-sprinkled state, blue eyes shining with the utmost contentment…he seemed completely human.

"That was a pretty big burst of ambition you showed out there," Rose commented thoughtfully. "What happened?"

The cyborg glanced back at the sea. His son was now laughing nonstop as fish tickled his feet.

"Let's just say that I realized I have a pretty effective lucky charm…"

The brunette gave him a quizzical look. Rather than elaborating, Raiden said, "Hey, Maverick's footin' the bill for this trip as some sort of department therapy session. Let's make the most of it."

With that, Raiden picked his wife up bridal-style and dashed toward the waves. He grinned as she let out a squeal of surprise.

**XXX**

**Hopefully it wasn't too corny…I was in the mood to do a summer-y story and this is how it came out haha :3. I hope you liked and please review! Please no flames. **

**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR**


End file.
